-------COMMON APP ESSAY------- Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. (650 words max!) I recite ancient Chinese poems, but adore Jane Austen. I devour spicy chicken feet, but drool for ballpark franks. I dream in Chinese, but think in English. 10 years ago, my family moved to China from the US, and bridging these two...

What matters to you, and why? (250 word limit.) [Stanford] When I learned that the cleft lip babies at a local Healing Home needed funding for surgical care, I decided to take action. As a runner, I began planning my school's first-ever charity run. I had no idea, however, that running was a common community enemy. Almost everyone I asked replied, "Are you kidding me? I'll die before I run a 5K!" One friend even told me with serious concern, "No...

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate -- and us -- know you better. (250 word limit.) [Stanford] Hi roomie! As freshmen at Stanford, there are many things we will be unsure of-- Which clubs to join or start, out of the amazing selection of 650+ organizations; or which classes to take, with intriguing choices from “Sleep and Dreams” to “Machine Learning”. But...

Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (250 word limit.) By the third week of Women’s Technology Program-EECS at MIT, I had fallen in love with CS. With my limited knowledge, I ambitiously began coding Tetris. In the process, however, one problem perplexed me to the extent that I could only sit and stare. I understood the general class-attribute relationship, but I could not apply it. Whenever...

MIT: 11a) We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. I compete all over the Asia-Pacific with my track team. Because I love to eat, my teammates rely on me to find the tastiest local delicacies everywhere we go. In the Philippines, I persuaded our local bus driver to buy a bag of the infamous balut (fertilized duck egg)....

MIT: 12c) Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? My heart dropped. One second ago, I was swiftly striding forward, leading the tight pack of twenty girls racing 1500m. Now, my palms burned and my left knee stung. In utter disbelief that I had fallen onto the ground, I wanted to cry. My first instinct was to stand, but just attempting...

MIT: 12b) Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? Every Tuesday, I greet my English students: five uniformed school security guards eager to repeat English phrases and act out real-life situations. When I first met them as a member of English Service Project, one student, Ling, always seemed to digest new material more slowly. As he stuttered, "May I see ID cahd?"...

MIT: 11b) Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? During WTP, with 3 weeks of Python knowledge, I coded Tetris with my partner and had the time of my life. I looked forward to every challenge we faced in the Athena Clusters, whether it was finding hilarious bugs, finishing code after hours of fruitless trial and error, or ironically screaming with victory when the words ...

I did two interviews total: MIT and Harvard. MIT was my first interview ever, and I had to take the train for about 40 minutes, and a taxi for another 30 minutes to get to the spot designated by my interviewer. I think I made a good first impression just by being willing to make such a long commute. My interviewer was a professor at a university in China, and he did graduate school at MIT. He was very nice and emphasized how he was an 'educational counselor', not an 'interviewer,' and he made the atmosphere very relaxed. He asked me...

Definitely use your summer wisely! Do not waste it! DO NOT just watch TV shows and hang out with friends. Travelling is fine, but make sure you get something out of it. I did a summer program for four weeks learning about math and computer science, and it was awesome! Apply for semi-selective summer programs during your junior year of...

I did not! And I think it worked well for me (and saved a...